Citing Centre’s “indifference” towards Gujarat on the railway front, Congress workers on Sunday garlanded Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu with a black cloth.
The party workers approached Mr. Prabhu posing as supporters of the BJP. Twelve Congress workers were detained by the police after the incident in Nanpura.
As soon as Mr. Prabhu stepped out of his vehicle, protesters garlanded him with the black cloth and offered him a lollipop.
The Minister was in the city to attend a function organised at the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry building.
Raise slogans
Around 50 protesters had gathered outside the venue and were raising slogans before Mr. Prabhu’s arrival but the police managed to keep them at a distance. However, some protesters managed to get near the Minister.
“We have detained 12 Congress workers. We did not have any information regarding their protest plan. We will be taking strongest action against them,” said Surat Police Commissioner Satish Sharma. However, Mr. Prabhu went on to attend the programmes, including an address to members of the SGCCI, and a Digi Dhan mela.
Prabhu’s tweets
In a series of tweets, Mr. Prabhu said he laid the foundation stone for 35 road under-bridges across Gujarat, and dedicated to nation “a host of railway infra, passenger amenities across Gujarat at Surat”.
Gujarat Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi said they would continue similar protests against the BJP’s “anti-people policies and Centre’s indifference towards Gujarat”.
“In the last three years, railway fare as well as price of platform tickets have gone up, and despite charging ‘Swachh Bharat’ cess on passengers, railway platforms remain unclean. The Centre has done little for the State in the last three years,” he said.
Union Minister Parshottam Rupala, who was in the city to receive Mr. Prabhu, criticised the manner in which the protest was staged. — PTI
